


Cure For Loneliness

by MythicalViolet



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, Stripper!Rhett, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:32:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14042310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythicalViolet/pseuds/MythicalViolet
Summary: Link Neal, a lonely engineer, goes to a strip club one night after work and befriends one of the dancers.





	Cure For Loneliness

Link placed his head in his hands and sighed. Despite staying late at the office every night that week, he was afraid this project wouldn’t get finished before the deadline. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. 

“Link? You’re still here?” One of his coworkers stuck her head in this office door.

Link smiled faintly. “Yeah, I’m trying to finish this project.”

“Well I’m heading out. You should too. It’s Friday, go do something fun!”

“Maybe I should. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

Link sat and stared at the door long after his coworker left. “I don’t even know what fun is anymore.”

Link had always been a lonely guy; he was an only child and had few friends growing up. He hoped going to college would change that, but he wasn’t able to maintain any of the connections he made while working on his degree. After graduation Link moved to California and found an engineering job, hoping a totally new location would help fix the aching emptiness. After five years there, Link was still as lonely as he ever was, and had determined that he just wasn’t meant to make any type of deep connection with anyone. The only human contact he had on a regular basis was work related or the friendly small talk he made with the cashier at the grocery store. At least the cashier didn’t judge him for buying a fifth of Jack once a week.

He decided there was nothing else to be done with the project and he might as well go home. He gathered his things and got in his car. He pulled out of the parking lot, but instead of taking his usual way home he decided to aimlessly drive around for a while. He just couldn’t bring himself to go home yet. He forced himself to fight his loneliness even though he felt it was futile.

Eventually Link found himself in the part of town that contained clubs and bars of all types. He pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be a strip club. “I think I’ll just have one drink and go home.” He said. He’d never been to a strip club before and was afraid of what he’d see in there, but he consoled himself with the fact that he was alone and no one would ever have to know where he was or what happened. He was free to do whatever he wanted that night.

He walked inside the dimly lit room and took a seat toward the end of the stage. A pretty waitress came by and took his drink order. He nursed his beverage as he watched multiple performances. It didn’t bother him that the dancers were men. He knew the guys at the office frequented clubs with female dancers, but Link couldn’t be bothered with checking the gender of the dancers. He’d never given much thought about his sexuality, but he wasn’t opposed to watching attractive men dance. 

“Hey sweetheart, want some company?” Link looked up to see a handsome bearded gentleman looking down at him. His hair was pushed up which brought attention to his big expressive eyes. He was wearing a black mesh tank top and a pair of tiny black shorts that barely contained his package. His arms were covered with glitter.

“No, I’m fine.” 

“Are you sure? You look pretty lonely.” The large man ran a finger down Link’s face. Link was startled by the physical contact. It had been a long time since anyone touched him on purpose.

“Yeah. I’m sure. Thanks for the offer though.”

“Okay then. If you change your mind, my name’s Rhett.”

“Thanks.”

Link ordered another drink and watched a few more performers, one of them being Rhett. He was very impressed with his dancing ability and his toned body. There were a couple times when Link was sure Rhett made eye contact with him.

Link yawned and decided it was time to go home. He went to the bar to pay his tab, and on the way out he heard a voice say “Have a good night.” He turned around and saw Rhett wave flirtatiously at him. 

Link laid in bed that night and thought about Rhett. He liked being flirted with, even though he knew it was just part of Rhett’s job. He placed his hand on the part of his face Rhett touched, and kept it there as he fell asleep.

Link assumed his fascination with the club and Rhett would wear off, but throughout the following work week he found himself daydreaming about being at the club and asking Rhett for a dance; he wanted another chance to talk to him. On Friday he decided to go back to the club and see Rhett again. This time he went home to shower and change, and stopped by an ATM to get some cash. He went to the club and sat in the same seat he did last time. He barely paid attention to the performers; he was focused on finding Rhett.

“Hey, you came back!” Rhett walked up to Link. This time he was wearing a tiny pair of purple shorts and his chest was covered in glitter. “Would you like some company?”

“Yes, please.” Link nervously sipped his drink as Rhett began to dance for him.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Charles, but everyone calls me Link.”

“Link? That’s a fun name. What brought you back here?”

Link blushed. “I wanted to see you again.”

“Aww, I must have made an impression on you.” Rhett smiled and touched Link’s face again. Link blushed profusely.

“Your face is practically crimson sweetie! You must be one of those shy ones.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Link had a hard time maintaining eye contact with Rhett; his eyes kept moving down to his gyrating hips. Rhett noticed Link’s wandering eyes.

“It’s okay to look, that’s why I’m here.”

Link allowed himself to gaze at Rhett’s body and found himself becoming aroused. It was the first time that happened in a while and he wasn’t quite sure what to do. He squirmed in his chair.

“Are you okay? You’re awfully quiet.” Rhett asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Rhett finished his dance and Link handed him all the cash he brought with him.

“Oh wow, this is…quite a bit of money.” Rhett said. “Are you sure you want to spend it all on me?”

Link smiled. “I’m sure. Thank you for the company.”

“Anytime.” Rhett winked as he walked away.

Link returned the following Friday, and the Friday after that. Over the course of a few months he established himself as a regular at the club and more specifically, Rhett’s regular customer. Every week Rhett would dance for Link and Link would tip him very well. Rhett and Link began to form a bond that straddled the line between customer/performer and something more personal; they grew to care for each other a lot. Link loved spending time with someone who obviously enjoyed his company. Rhett could tell Link was lonely and wanted to provide the companionship he obviously wanted. 

One evening when Link paid Rhett, Rhett slipped him a piece of paper. Link was startled. “What’s this?”

Rhett said down next to Link. “It’s my phone number. I was wondering if we could see each other in different circumstances, preferably while I’m wearing more clothes.” Rhett chuckled. Link was surprised. “Of course, I’d love to see you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” Rhett gave Link his signature wink and walked away. Link wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. Did he just ask me out?

The next afternoon, Link nervously dialed Rhett’s number.

“Hello?”

“Hi Rhett, it’s Link.”

“Hey buddy, how’s it going?”

“Good. I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight.”

“I’d love to. What time?”

“Is 6 okay? I was thinking about getting reservations at that new bistro downtown.”

“That’s perfect. See you then.”

Link sat down on the couch and leaned his head back. He tried to process all these new feelings he was experiencing. “I’m going on a date. With an attractive man. Who seems to be interested in me.” He shook his head. “I don’t even recognize my own life right now.”

Link agonized over every detail: what to wear, what time to arrive, what to say. He wasn’t used to someone seeking out his company. He took his time in the shower, and finally settled on a pair of jeans with a button down shirt and a pull over sweater. He took his time driving to the restaurant and nervously waited for Rhett. While he was reading the menu, he heard a voice from above. “Hi Link.”

Link looked up to see Rhett’s smiling face. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. “Hi.” Link said as Rhett sat down.

Rhett grabbed Link’s hand. “It’s so wonderful to see you outside of the club. I can really see your face now.”

Link smiled. “It’s great to see you too. I never realized how blue your eyes are.”

“Yeah, that dim lighting hides a lot.” Rhett laughed. The two men easily conversed throughout their meal; it was like they were old friends seeing each other after a long absence. 

“So, can I ask how you became a dancer?”

Rhett smiled. “It’s definitely not something I planned on doing. I had to drop out of school a couple years ago to take care of my dying mother. My dad abandoned us a while ago, so we were all each other had. After she died, I had to pay off all the medical bills. Dancing was the fastest and quickest way to make money.”

“What did you study in school?”

“Library Sciences; I want to be a librarian and a writer. Sounds nerdy, right?”

“I’m an engineer, you’re in good company. So do you ever think about going to back to school?”

Rhett sighed. “Yeah. I honestly think about quitting the club and going back to school a couple times a month. Now that the medical bills are paid I’ve got a bunch of money in savings I could live off of while I get back into school. I guess I’ve convinced myself it’s too late to go back and I’m just stuck there. I mean, I like dancing but I don’t want to do it forever.”

This time, Link reached for Rhett’s hand. “It’s not too late, you should go for it.” 

Rhett titled his head “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I mean you’re obviously really smart, really talented, and a genuinely kind person. I think you’d make a great librarian.”

“Thanks Link.” Rhett squeezed his hand. “So, why you started coming to the club?”

Link looked down and shrugged. “Loneliness. I don’t have any friends, I’ve never been in a relationship…hell, this is my first date!” Rhett looked surprised. “I stayed late at the office one night and was reluctant to go home, so I randomly drove around and stopped at the club. Every once in a while I go through these phases were I crave human interaction and I get mad about not being able to bond with people, so I take drives and wander. That night I happened to end up at the club.”

Rhett looked sad. “You’ve bonded with me.”

“Yeah.” Link said. “You’re the first though. Even if you wanted to hang out with be or be with me or whatever…I can’t promise you anything. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You’re doing well so far. You’re a great guy Link, it hurts to see you be so hard on yourself.”

Link teared up. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Well for starters, say you’ll stop putting yourself down.”

Link blushed. “Okay.”

Rhett moved closer to Link. “Second, how do you feel about the two of us being together?”

Link was taken aback. “You mean, like a couple?”

“Yes.”

“Well I…” Link hesitated. “I don’t know anything about dating or being in a relationship.”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind. I think you’ll make a pretty good boyfriend.”

Link was overwhelmed; it felt strange to be accepted by someone so easily. “Okay, yeah. We can be together.” Rhett leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Rhett and Link finally paid their bill and left the restaurant. They stood in the parking lot, talking quietly. Link reached for Rhett’s hand. He decided he liked holding hands.

“Link, before this moves any further I have to tell you something. If we’re going to be together, you can’t come see me at the club anymore.”

Link was shocked. “Why?”

“It would feel too weird. Now that you’ve seen me like this, dancing for you at the club would be too difficult. That customer/dancer barrier we had is completely gone. I’d rather keep our relationship out of the club from this point on.”

Link nodded. “That makes sense. I think I’d prefer it that way too. I love watching you dance, but I love this side of you too.”

“I could always come over and give you a private dance.” Rhett winked.  
Link smiled. “I’d like that a lot. That actually sounds better than seeing you at the club.”

The two men made plans to see each other in a few days, and shared a lighthearted kiss before parting ways. Link drove home full of excitement. He had just about given up hope of making a connection with someone and condemning himself to a life of solitude, and out of nowhere he meets someone who changed everything.

Link stopped going to the club, and he and Rhett would see each other every time Rhett had a night off. Occasionally Link would take the day off from work so he could see Rhett before one of his shifts. Their dates usually consisted of meaningful or hilarious talks during a meal or after a movie. Link felt like he had a lifetime of conversations built up inside of him, and Rhett was all too happy to participate. Link felt himself grow and change from the person he was before he met Rhett; he was trying new things and forming friendships with people. Things like that became a lot easier once Rhett started to break the shell.

A couple months into their relationship, Link realized he missed seeing Rhett dance. He hadn’t seen him dance since the last time he was at the club, and he had a lot of fond memories tied to Rhett’s dancing. After all, it’s how their relationship started.

Hey, when you come over tonight, can you dance for me? Link texted.

Absolutely. Can I stay the night? We usually end up staying up late talking and I don’t want to worry about watching the clock.

Sure, that sounds good.

Link suddenly got scared. Spending the night? That could lead to sex! He and Rhett hadn’t been intimate yet, and he wondered if Rhett wanted to try something that evening. They had come close a few times, but Link stopped it before things went far. Sex was something he was still pretty shy about.

Link decided that night could be a good opportunity to discuss the topic and maybe try it out. He stopped at the store on the way home from work to pick up a few things, and while he was there he grabbed a bottle of lube and a box of condoms. When he got home he slid them into the drawer of the nightstand; he felt like he was hiding a secret.

Rhett arrived at Link’s place just as he finished cooking dinner. Rhett was unusually quiet during the meal, but Link assumed he was just tired; club hours didn’t really allow for a normal sleeping pattern.

“Rhett, I want to talk to you about something.”

“I need to talk to you too.” Rhett looked very serious. 

“Is there something wrong?”

“Not anymore. I quit the club.”

“What? When?”

“Three days ago. I had a really bad night; super rude customers, one of the dancers got hurt and had to be taken to the hospital. It was very overwhelming. I sat in the dressing room and realized that I needed to stop toying around with the idea of quitting and make up my mind. So I packed up my things and told the manager I was done.”

“Does this mean you’re going back to school?”

Rhett smiled. “Yes. I turned in my application yesterday. Hopefully they’ll re-admit me in enough time to start classes this fall.”

“That’s wonderful! If you’re re-admitted I’ll take you back to school shopping.” Link leaned over and kissed Rhett.

“Thanks babe. Being with you gave me the courage to finally do what needed to be done.”

“Really?”

“Yup. You’ve grown so much since we first got together. You’re not the same lonely guy that came into the club all those months ago. I figure if you could get out of the place you were stuck in, then so can I.” Rhett started to tear up. Link reached over and threw his arms around Rhett. 

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Rhett said, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Oh, nothing important…” Link got up and cleared the dishes.

“Really? You seemed pretty serious when you brought it up.”

“Well, it’s not as important as your news. It can wait.” 

“Come on Link, tell me. We’ve got all night to talk.”

“I was going to ask you about…sex.”

“Oh? What about it?” Rhett smiled.

“I was wondering if we could try it. I assumed that you wanted to since you asked to spend the night.”

“I did think about it. But I can tell you’re pretty shy about it so I decided to wait and let you bring it up.”

“I bought condoms and lube today. Just in case.” Link giggled.

“And how did that go?”

“I was a little scared. I used the self checkout line.” Both men laughed.

“So, do you want to go upstairs, then?” Rhett said in a low voice.

“Sure.” Link finished cleaning up from dinner and made his way upstairs to his bedroom with Rhett. He sat on the edge of the bed nervously.

“Do you still want me to dance for you?” Rhett asked.

“If you want. I don’t know how you feel about dancing now that you don’t work at the club anymore.”

“Oh I still like dancing.” Rhett reached down and stroked Link’s face. “Especially now that you’re my only audience.” Rhett began to slowly move his hips and torso seductively while unbuttoning his shirt. “Did you miss this?”

“Yeah.” Link said, mesmerized.

“I did too.” Rhett pulled off his shirt and reached for his belt buckle, but Link beat him too it.

“Wow Link, you’re excited. I like that.” Link undid Rhett’s belt and jeans, and pulled them down far enough so he could see his crotch. He placed a hand on it and rubbed it. 

“I like this.” He said. 

“I do too.” Rhett said. “Why don’t you lie down and make yourself comfortable?” Link laid down on the bed, and Rhett removed his jeans. He then climbed onto the bed and straddled Link. “I can’t be the only one in my underwear, now can I?” Rhett kissed Link, removed his glasses, and started to undress him. Link began to feel a little bit scared, but his fears were assuaged by Rhett’s gentle touches and kisses.

They lay on the bed in their underwear kissing for a while. Then Link pulled on Rhett’s underwear. “Can I see you now?” he said softly.

“Of course.” Rhett got up and slipped out of his boxers. Link gave him a slow once over. “You’re stunning.” He said. “It’s like I’m seeing you for the first time.”

“I bet you’re pretty stunning too.” Rhett said. Link smiled and pulled off his underwear. Rhett climbed back into bed and lay next to him, caressing his chest. “Oh my.” He said. “You’re absolutely breathtaking.”

“Thank you.” Link said. The two men took their time getting acquainted with each other’s bodies; every curve and line was a source of fascination. They drew lines and figures on each other with their fingers and lips.

“Link.” Rhett said breathlessly. “Get the lube. I want you to fuck me.”

“But Rhett, I don’t know how.”

Rhett rolled on his back and spread his legs. “Don’t worry; I’ll talk you through it. I just want you so bad right now.”

Link reached into the drawer and pulled out the bottle of lube. “Get in between my legs and touch me.” Link knelt between Rhett’s legs and began to stroke him.

“That’s good, Link. Keep moving your hand down until you get to my asshole.” Link slowly moved his hand down until he got to Rhett’s entrance and ran his fingers around it. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“That’s perfect. Now put some lube on me and on your fingers and insert them, one at a time.” Link raised his eyebrows. “It’s okay Link, this is the prep work. You’re doing fine.”

Link covered Rhett’s asshole and his fingers with the cool liquid and started to insert one finger. Once it was all the way in he wiggled it around a bit. Rhett shivered.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Rhett moaned. “You just hit my sweet spot. Good job.”

Link smiled and inserted another finger and wiggled them both at the same time. Rhett continued to shiver and moan. Link slid his fingers in and out of Rhett. “Hmm, this is fun.” He said. Rhett laughed. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. You want to try putting your dick in there now?”

“Okay.” Link was feeling much more confident now. He stroked himself a few times and applied some lube to himself. “Are you ready?”

“Yup.” Rhett smiled. “Just take your time.”

Link placed the tip of his cock on Rhett’s entrance and started pressing himself in. Rhett pulled on the sheets. “Good, good…really good.” He whispered. Link held his breath until he was all the way in. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “You feel amazing.”

“So do you.” Rhett smiled. Link experimented with different types of movements, trying to find Rhett’s “sweet spot” again. “Does this feel good? What about this?” Rhett always responded positively and encouraged Link a lot.

“Fuck Link, you’re so good. I love being this close to you.”

“I love it too.” Link grunted. He was focused on pleasuring Rhett and making sure he felt good. Rhett reached down and began to touch himself. “Are you close yet? I was hoping we could come together.”

“Yeah.” Link said. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”

Rhett stroked himself to the rhythm of Link’s movements until finally he said “Okay. I’m ready.” The two men came together, their sounds of pleasure intertwining and hitting the walls. Link pulled out, cleaned himself off, and crawled in bed next to Rhett.

“How are you?” he asked quietly.

Rhett smiled and ran his fingers through Link’s hair. “I feel great. How are you?”

“I’m happy, really happy. I’m happy we’re together, and I’m happy I’m not lonely anymore.” Link kissed Rhett and pressed his forehead against his. “I love you Rhett.” 

“I love you too.”


End file.
